Adjustable window-shade fixture.



Patented July 24, I90G.

F. P. CASEY.

ADJUSTABLE WINDOW SHADE FIXTURE.4

l :Applimion med Feb. 27, 1900.)

(No Model.)

` F1 E Q I ru "11,'-

r I V??? t .NITED V[Sierras PATENT FFICQE,

FRANIII cAsEY, or BLooMING'roN, IL'LINoIs;

ADJUSTABLE wmuow-s-HADE FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 654,342, datea'ruiyslr,190e.

Application filedilebruary 27,19-00. 4Serial No.` 62,705.` (NonilonclelrV j To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK P. CASEY, a citizen of the United States,residing atBlooml ington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois,have invented a new and useful Adjustable Window-Shade Fixture, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in window-shade xtures.

Heretofore adjustable window-shade iixtures have been employed and havebeen pro` vided with vertical ways in which have been arranged slidescarrying the curtain orshade and secured at the desired adjustment bymeans of springs, but a single leaf or spring has been employed forlocking the slides, and it has been found by experience that indisengaging such a spring from theways the lateral pressure has causedthe slide to bind in the ways or guides, and thereby interfere with theadjustment of the curtain or shade. The objects of the present inventionare to improve the construction of adjustable window-shade iixtures andto provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient one which may be readilyoperated to raise and lower a curtain or shade without causing theslides to bind in the guides.

v The invention consists in the construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a curtain or window-shadefixture constructed in accordance with this invention and shown appliedto a window. Fig. 2 is adetail perspective View of one of the slides.Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of one of the guides and itsslide. Fig. t is a longitudinal sectional view of the lower portion ofthe slide, illustrating the manner of mounting the spring.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding partsin all thefigures of the drawings.

opposite sides of a window-frame, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 ofthe accompanying drawings, and constructed of suitable metal, andreceiving the vertical movable slides 2, which carry a curtain or shade3 and which are adapted to permit the curtain to be arh 1 1 designatevertical guides securedto the.

ranged over any portion of the window for the purpose of ventilation andto arrange the light as desired. r The Vertical guides arev providedwith inner and outer vertical anges 4 and 5, and 'the outer flanges areVprovided at their lower portions with notches G, arranged at intervalsand forming lower shoul-V ders and upper beveled edges, theshouldersbeing adapted to be engaged by spring 7, as clearly illustrated in Fig.1 of the drawings, whereby the slides are locked at the desiredadjustment. l Each spring, which is approximately V- shaped, is composedof inner and outer sides i or leaves 8 and 9, the inner leaf beingdisposed longitudinally of the lower portion of the slide atsubstantially the center thereof and being provided at its end with alug 10, which is secured in a slot or opening 11` of the slide. Theouter side 9 of the spring is ex# tended beyond the fixed end of theinner side and he spring is free except at the said point of attachmentto the slide. By this arrangement a considerable amount of spring metalis located within a comparatively-small space and a maximum amount ofresiliency and spring-pressure is obtained. The lower end of the outerside 9 of the spring is curved outward and is adapted to engage theshoulders of the notches, and the beveled edges at the upper sides ofthe notches oifer no resistance to the spring, andy the slides areadapted to be readily moved upward without depressing the spring.

In order to enable the springs to be readily compressed to facilitaterapid raisingand lowering and to prevent any binding of the slidesthrough any tendency to twist, the sides of the springs are providedwith outwardly-extending pieces or grips 12 and 13, adapted to begrasped by the thumb and the forefinger, whereby the engaging end of theouterside of each spring is drawn inward from the notches of the outeranges of the guides. When the springs are compressed, the slides aresimultaneously gripped without twisting them, and they may be readilymoved upward and downward to raise the curtain or shade.

The slides are provided at their upper ends with brackets or arms 14,having bearings for the reception of the journals of an ordinaryspringroller which is carried by the slides.

IOO

The arms or brackets may be either formed integral with the slides andstruck up from the same,or theymay consist of separate pieces It win begeen that the springs which hold the slides at the desired adjustmentare adapted to be readily grasped and compressed by the simple act ofgripping the device and that in releasing the springs from the notchedouter Hanges of the guides no lateral pressure or twisting action isexerted on the slides and the latter are not caused to bind in the ways,but are permitted to move upward and downward therein without friction.It will also be apparent that the inner side or leaf of the spring formsa stop for the outer side, so that the operator is not required to exerta greater amount of pressure than is actually necessary to disengage thespring, and the efficiency of the latter is not impaired by excessiveand unnecessary bending. Furthermore, it will be clear that the spring,the slide, and the the operator, one of the sides being fixed to theslide between the side edges thereof and the other side engaging theguide, said spring being adapted to be compressed without caus- .ing theslide to twist or bind in the guide, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRANK P. CASEY.

Witnesses:

HOMER K. HUs'rEN, JACOB BOPP.

